Center Daniel Torres has been a leader on and off the basketball court at Gillett Secondary School.
After six games, the 6-foot-2 senior has earned a double-double twice in the Tigers’ two victories and leads the team with 10 points and eight rebounds per game.
First-year coach Jeff Cross knew Torres would be a force to be reckoned with before the season started.
“I knew that he always had the potential to score and rebound. The only part was to make him believe in himself as much as I did,” Cross said. “So, the double-doubles that he has scored already has not been a real surprise to me.”
After scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 boards in a 34-24 win Dec. 4 at home against Wittenberg-Birnamwood, he followed up with his second double-double, scoring a career-high 17 points and snagging 14 rebounds in a 52-46 win Dec. 12 at Lena.
Torres averaged 7.2 points per game as a junior and learned to use his 225-pound frame to push through defenders, snagging 150 rebounds in 24 games.
“Whether it’s offense or defense, I’d say being in the paint is where I play the hardest,” he said. “I always try to get every rebound I can and every point that I can when I have the ball. I just want to help the team in every way that I can.
“My basketball game isn’t even close to where I want to be. I think one of the biggest areas I need to work on is the mental part of basketball. I need to learn to stay calm even when things aren’t going our way.”
Torres has emerged as a leader on and off the court.
“He is leading on the court, in the bleachers, and in the classroom. He is third in his class for grades,” Cross said.
Torres, who was first-team all-Marinette & Oconto Conference in football on both the offensive and defensive line this year, had reservations about playing basketball when he was in fourth grade.
“I remember being hesitant on if I wanted to join basketball or not,” he said. “But my mom and uncle convinced me, and I am really glad that they did. Basketball is by far my favorite sport.”
Torres’ uncle played college volleyball in Mexico.
“His past experiences intrigued me when I was younger and at that point I had decided to make memories like his for myself and to win awards just like he had,” Torres said. “I still think I would have joined either way, but he gave me the initiative to start young and to work hard as soon as I could.”
Torres spent the first five years of his life in Mexico. He appreciates the community he has called home the last 13 years.
“Everyone asked me, ‘Why Gillett?’ ” Torres said. “We moved up here because we had relatives in Gillett that were going to help us out while we got back on our feet. After that, we just never wanted to move.”
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